APTA Urges MedPAC to Include Stakeholders in Development of Congressional Report

Thursday, March 15, 2012

APTA Urges MedPAC to Include Stakeholders in Development of Congressional Report

Following last week's discussion on the congressionally mandated report on outpatient therapy services at the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) meeting, APTA submitted comments to the commission urging it to include APTA in the report's development to "ensure that a comprehensive and accurate assessment… is conducted that results in recommendations that ensure access to high quality therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries."

APTA's comments also provide MedPAC with a broad description of the use of outpatient physical therapy services, noting that changes in policies often result in payment shifts from Medicare Part A to Medicare Part B and in patient shifts from one setting to another. In addition, the association comments on major systems reform, tighter coding, and improving the management of the outpatient physical therapy benefit.

Comments

I just wanted to take a moment out to thank the APTA leadership for all of their efforts on not only behalf of the physical therapy profession but for rehabilitation therapy overall. I had the pleasure and privilege to work with many of the APTA team via serving NARA for the past 6 years and their collaborative efforts at the national and grass-roots / local level have been, and will continue to be, essential for our industry's future ...
Thanks!
Gregg J. Altobella, MS CCC-SLP
Past President
National Association of Rehab Providers & Agencies (NARA)
Washington, D.C.